Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Abraham Koomson, has criticised the South African government over the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting African foreign nationals living in South Africa.

According to Mr. Koomson, the attacks reflect a failure of leadership under President Cyril Ramaphosa, arguing that no responsible government should allow such incidents to escalate unchecked.

Speaking on Ahotor FM on Saturday, May 30, Mr. Koomson expressed concern over what he described as the South African government’s inability to effectively contain the violence and protect foreign nationals.

He warned that the situation could have serious political consequences for President Ramaphosa if decisive action is not taken.

Mr. Koomson further claimed that the governing African National Congress (ANC) has become weakened following the formation of the country’s coalition government, making it more difficult for the South African leader to respond firmly to issues affecting African migrants.

Describing the attacks as unfortunate and unacceptable, he insisted that violence against fellow Africans should never be tolerated anywhere on the continent.

Drawing comparisons with Ghana, Mr. Koomson noted that when tensions previously emerged between local traders and foreign nationals over trading activities, the Ghanaian government intervened quickly through dialogue and diplomatic engagement to restore calm.

According to him, governments that fail to act responsibly create conditions that allow citizens to take the law into their own hands.

“If a government is not serious and responsible, that is when you see citizens behaving the way some groups are behaving in South Africa today,” he stated.

Mr. Koomson also defended criticism directed at Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, whose movement has been associated with anti-foreigner campaigns in South Africa.

He argued that a strong and effective government would have enforced the law earlier to prevent the situation from deteriorating.

The GFL Secretary-General maintained that the South African authorities must urgently restore law and order while guaranteeing the safety and protection of all residents, regardless of nationality.

He further stressed that the continued attacks should be regarded as a governance failure, insisting that political leaders must be capable of maintaining peace and ensuring the security of everyone within their borders.